NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL OFFICE
WORLD READ ALOUD DAY
February 2021
Members in North West Province celebrated World Read Aloud Day on behalf of LITASA’s national office. Books were generously donated by Book Dash and these were handed out to learners at various schools in and around Rustenburg. We had planned to host an event in the Free State to celebrate this important event in the annual literacy calendar, but this was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The remainder of the wonderful Book Dash donation has been sent to partners in KZN and the Free State to distribute within their communities.
Also related to World Read Aloud Day, LITASA was featured in a double page spread in the Helderberg Gazette. The article can be found here.
INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY WEBINAR
8 September 2020
LITASA hosted a webinar on 8 September to celebrate International Literacy Day. Guests included Haroon Mahomed (WCED), Vanessa Francis (Room to Read), Clarah Dhokotera (HUMEL) and Vuyokazi Jamieson (St Andrew’s College, Makhanda). During the webinar, we considered issues of access to reading materials during lockdown, how reading interventions will be impacted by schooling missed, how literature can help children make sense of the pandemic (and why literature is important for general literacy development), and what role literacy plays when accessing health and information during crisis periods. The webinar was well received and enticed lively debate on several critical issues.
WORLD READ ALOUD DAY
5 February 2020
In celebration of World Read Aloud Day we joined Akanyang Centre for Teaching, the Royal Bafokeng Institute and Lefaragatlhe Primary School in Phokeng, North West Province for some stories and fun.